St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance would like to thank The Abbott Fund for awarding a $10,000 grant to our new Backpack program designed to reach the one in four Arizona children who are part of families who suffer from food insecurity.

The backpack program provides non-perishable, easy to prepare, child-friendly food items that children suffering from chronic hunger can take home and eat on the weekends when school breakfast and lunch programs are not open and other resources are not available.

The Abbott Fund was established by Abbott, a global health care company, in 1951, as a philanthropic foundation based in Illinois, United States. The Abbott Fund’s vision is to create healthier communities worldwide. The Abbott Fund invests in ideas that promote science and medical innovation, expand access to health care and strengthen communities around the globe. In partnership with others, The Abbott Fund strives to make a lasting impact on people’s lives and encourage others to take positive action.

“Thank you to The Abbott Fund, not only for helping the world’s first food bank reach more children in our community but for all its many good works around the globe,” St. Mary’s President and CEO Terry Shannon said. “For many children in Arizona, the reality is nutritious food, or any food at all, is in short supply when they are at home. This backpack program attempts to reach as many of those children as possible and it is through partners like The Abbott Fund that ensure that we are able to continue with an eye toward expansion.”